The Short War Assumption, Dr. Nicholas Lambert

Nicholas Lambert received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Oxford University. The World War One Historical Association has twice awarded him the Norman B. Tomlinson book prize: Sir John Fisher's Naval Revolution (1999) and Planning Armageddon: British Economic Warfare and the First World War (2013). Lambert discusses Britain's carefully planned grand strategy of economic warfare intended to bring about the rapid collapse of Germany’s financial systems through engineering a controlled implosion of the global trading system. As such, "economic warfare" constituted a national strategy of quick, decisive war comparable in function and objectives to Germany’s infamous Schlieffen Plan. After the commencement of hostilities, however, the scale of the global economic devastation wrought far exceeded all expectations. Within weeks, the economic warfare strategy was aborted. It is perhaps the only strategic plan ever called off because it was too successful. Presented November 7, 2014 as part of the National World War I Museum and United States World War I Centennial Commission 2014 Symposium, "1914: Global War & American Neutrality." The Symposium was held in association with The Western Front Association East Coast Branch and the World War I Historical Association. Sponsored by Colonel J's, the Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund and Verlag Militaria.